Before students participate in this lesson, they will have already been exposed to food webs and energy cycles. I will build on their previous knowledge and have them apply the new concepts to what they already know. Students prior knowledge and experiences are activated in each activity through the use of probing questions. As each lesson builds upon the next, probing questions can become more advanced as the unit
This topic is made meaningful for students by teaching them the material utilizing the environment around them. Using a familiar ecosystem such as Narragansett Bay, will make the students more involved and more engaged because it is something that they have experience with and can relate to on a personal level. The unit makes use of their prior knowledge of Narragansett Bay and getting them to make connections to the material that they will be learning.
In order to make sense of the material, cooperative learning, inquiry and classroom discussion will be incorporated. Inquiry is utilized in this unit in the form of laboratory experiments, research, presentations and group discussion. Students are the primary researchers in this unit and share their information with the class in order to construct meaning for the larger concepts.
Use of class discussion of learning as well as multiple formative assessments will help to clear up student misconceptions as well as serving as an indicator for student interest and success of the lesson. Student learning is assessed through various in class activities, worksheets and labs. A final project, a public service announcement brochure will be created detailing various topics that have been discussed in class. This performance based assessment will complement a final unit quiz will be given as well to assess comprehensive understanding.
Rational
Before students participate in this lesson, they will have already been exposed to food webs and energy cycles. I will build on their previous knowledge and have them apply the new concepts to what they already know. Students prior knowledge and experiences are activated in each activity through the use of probing questions. As each lesson builds upon the next, probing questions can become more advanced as the unit
This topic is made meaningful for students by teaching them the material utilizing the environment around them. Using a familiar ecosystem such as Narragansett Bay, will make the students more involved and more engaged because it is something that they have experience with and can relate to on a personal level. The unit makes use of their prior knowledge of Narragansett Bay and getting them to make connections to the material that they will be learning.
In order to make sense of the material, cooperative learning, inquiry and classroom discussion will be incorporated. Inquiry is utilized in this unit in the form of laboratory experiments, research, presentations and group discussion. Students are the primary researchers in this unit and share their information with the class in order to construct meaning for the larger concepts.
Use of class discussion of learning as well as multiple formative assessments will help to clear up student misconceptions as well as serving as an indicator for student interest and success of the lesson. Student learning is assessed through various in class activities, worksheets and labs. A final project, a public service announcement brochure will be created detailing various topics that have been discussed in class. This performance based assessment will complement a final unit quiz will be given as well to assess comprehensive understanding.
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